


Nerds Are People Too

by embro



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Because there's always angst, Cheesey McCheese, Eventual Smut, M/M, Model Louis, Model Zayn, Nerd Liam, Niall just does his own thang, Seriously a lot of cheese, So much Ziam fluff, Socially awkward Harry, larry - Freeform, larry smut, ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-09 08:45:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/772280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embro/pseuds/embro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall, Liam and Harry are University students that live together.</p><p>Louis and Zayn are models that move into the room across from them.</p><p>Zayn entrances Liam, and Louis makes Harry actually feel. </p><p>Niall just likes to stir up trouble and make bad attempts at matchmaking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I remade on [Tumblr ](http://harryventura.tumblr.com)

“We have new neighbours!” Niall sing-songed, looking through their door’s peephole.

“Let’s see then.” Liam muttered as he pushed the Irish boy aside. Harry just grunted and went back into his room. Probably to play spider solitaire on his laptop; the boy was addicted, it was becoming a problem. “They’re very good looking.” Liam stated.

“If you’re into guys.” Niall said with raised eyebrows before pushing open the door, causing Liam to fall out into the hallway. The two other boys looked up, one carrying a box and the other holding a couple of giant bags. 

“Alright?” one asked, raising an eyebrow, smirk on his face. He was tanned and had beautiful eyes; Liam couldn’t look away.

“Yeah mate, just thought I’d welcome you to the building!” Niall slapped the one holding the bags on the back with so much force that he nearly dropped them.

“Cheers, I’m Zayn. This is Louis.” The beautiful boy said. 

“Niall.” He pointed to himself, and then gripped Liam’s shoulder. “Liam.”

Liam just stared as Niall introduced them; he couldn’t even look away when Zayn nodded at him. His eyes were enchanting. He had a perfect jaw that was covered in stubble, and he had nice cheekbones and tall hair and even his eyelashes were pretty.

Niall could only watch as Liam stared wide eyed at Zayn, who clenched his jaw and furrowed his brow at his friend’s attention. As much as he loved embarrassing his friends, this was too cringe-worthy. 

It seemed the other bloke felt the same as he cleared his throat. “So, want to come over for drinks tonight then?” Louis asked politely. 

Zayn scowled and Liam grinned dreamily and Niall laughed. “Definitely.”  
After closing the door, he turned on Liam. “You really freaked him out there mate.”

“His eyes are the colour of something I saw in my High School geology text book.” Liam thought out loud. “I’m going to go look it up, and then write some poetry about it.”

“You don’t write poetry.” Niall laughed.

“I’m going to learn.” Liam replied, trying to show enough determination so Niall couldn’t doubt him.

“Good luck with that.” Niall replied, but Liam didn’t need luck. He was kind of a genius and he figured poetry would be a piece of cake, just like everything else was for him. “Here’s a line for you: With eyes of topaz, your sexier then Mraz.” Niall mocked.

“What’s mraz?” 

“You know, the singer?” Niall asked, and looked even more incredulous when Liam pulled out his phone and googled him.

“He’s not sexy at all. It’s not a great feat to be sexier then someone who isn’t sexy.” Liam announced. “You aren’t any help.”

 

Harry was forced out of his room by Niall, who demanded that he go meet the neighbours. “Take a shower first, you smell musty.”

“Can’t be fucked.” Harry shrugged, chucking a beanie on to cover his greasy hair. “Plus, if I smell bad enough they won’t invite me back ever again.” He added with a grin.

“You are strangely proud of the fact that you aren’t sociable, Harry.” Liam said from the bathroom where he was flossing his teeth. 

“Are you wearing a tie?”

Liam shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Well if my smell doesn’t get me kicked out, my weird friends definitely will.” Harry laughed, and Liam scowled. 

“Nothing wrong with looking presentable.”

“You’re right. I’m going to go put my sweater vest on.” Harry said. “Oh wait, I don’t have one.”

“You can borrow one of mine.” Liam said with a sincerity that even Harry would feel bad about mocking.

“You’re taking too long. I’m going.” Harry announced. 

 

Harry knocked on the door across the hall from theirs, and if it was a bit too aggressive then sue him. It was pulled open by a flushed boy with tanned skin and light hair. As Harry appraised him, the boy blushed redder under his gaze. “Alright?” Harry finally said, walking past the boy and taking a seat on the couch that was still covered in plastic, next to a boy who was watching him with a frown. This boy had even darker skin and dark hair. 

“Sorry, do we know you?” the boy with lighter everything asked warily.

“I live across the hall. I was told there’d be drinks.” Harry replied, still watching the darker boy. He looked so mad, and Harry couldn’t help but smile at that. It was a bit of a problem of his, to find humour in other’s discomfort. Still grinning, he looked back up at the other boy. “So where’s my beer then?”

“Oh! Right, I’ll go get it.” he replied, and rushed off to somewhere. 

“Get me one too!” the boy on the couch yelled after him, eyes still not straying from Harry. Until the door was pushed open, and Niall and Liam strode in. 

“Sorry, this one couldn’t find his inhaler.” Niall said, pointing at Liam with his thumb and rolling his eyes. “Even though he’s got like six, there’s only one he actually uses.”

“They’ve got different strengths and stuff. They’re probably not all the same.” Zayn grumbled, and Liam looked at him with worship. Poor guy.

“I have them!” Louis cried, rushing into the room holding two beers above his head like trophies.

“I’ll take that.” Niall said with a grin, grabbing the bottle from Louis and sitting himself down next to Harry. 

Louis frowned. “Oh. I’ll get more then?” 

 

The atmosphere was just so awkward, and Harry was revelling in it. He looked from Liam, who was staring at Zayn with pure adoration, then to Zayn, who was scowling and avoiding looking at Liam at all costs. There was Louis, who was sitting cross legged on the floor and had not been able to keep his gaze in one spot, and Niall was just going through the beers like he hadn’t had one in years.

“So, what do you two do?” Niall asked cheerily.

“We’re, uh, models?” Louis muttered.

“Yeah?” Harry asked with a grin. 

“Yeah? I mean, yes. We just moved to London to get more jobs.”

“What kind of models are you?” Liam asked. “I know there are lots of types. Like runway models, and catalogue models and underwear models. My guess is catalogue models, because you aren’t tall enough for the runway. But I haven’t seen you shirtless, so I could be wrong.” He added, and Harry grinned when Zayn turned to look at him with a scowl and Louis’ jaw dropped. People didn’t often know how to cope with Liam, which is why Harry liked being around him so much. Liam just seemed to generate uncomfortable air, and that was what Harry breathed easiest.

“We’re catalogue models, yes.” Louis finally muttered.

“I can see that.” Niall said with a friendly smile.

“What do you do?” Louis asked, looking at Harry.

“We’re models too.” Harry replied with a grin.

“Oh?” Louis asked, as Zayn snorted. 

“No, we’re students. I’m working towards a PhD, Harry’s studying psychology, and Niall... uh, I don’t quite understand what Niall does.” 

Niall grinned. No one knew what he did; he didn’t even know himself. He was meant to be doing an education degree, but his timetable was filled with an odd mixture of classes that didn’t add up to anything.

“Aren’t you too young to be doing a PhD?” Zayn grumbled from his corner.

Liam was ecstatic that he was being spoken to by Zayn, walking Adonis. Oh, maybe he could use that in his poem. “I did some Uni courses while I was in school, which meant I finished my degree earlier, which meant I could start my PhD earlier." 

Zayn tilted his head. “What’s it on?”

Harry and Niall groaned, and Liam grinned before beginning his spiel about who knows what. Harry had gathered it had something to do with starfish and regeneration and other science crap. When Liam finished, Zayn blinked a few times before turning to Louis.

“Can I go to bed yet?”

“We have guests.” Louis replied, and looked positively scandalised. Zayn made a ‘humph’ noise and Harry frowned. He’d never met someone ruder than him, and he didn’t like it. 

“You have any more beer?” Harry asked.

“No, we’re all out.” Louis replied with a blush. He did that whenever he looked at Harry, and the curly haired boy was finding it very annoying.

“Fine, I’m heading back.” He announced as he stood. 

“Oh?” Louis pushed himself from the ground as he asked it to stand too. “I’ll walk you out then.”

Harry frowned. “I live across the hall, I’ll find my own way. Cheers for the beer.” He added, passing Louis his empty bottle as he made his way to the door. 

“Thank you for coming, it was lovely meeting you.” Louis said quickly, but not quick enough to get it all out before Harry was slamming the door shut after him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter because I couldn't resist ;)
> 
> P.s. I put up with a broken 's' key while writing this, that is how much I love you!

As Harry sat in his lecture, resisting the urge to fall asleep, he tried to remember why he chose psychology. He remembered how proud his Mum had been when he told her what course he picked, thinking it was because he wanted to be just like her. He had to tell her that he didn't give two shits about couple counselling when she grabbed him and hugged him close, happy tears soaking his shirt. They were better than sad tears, he supposed.

“I’m just so proud.” She said again, when he tried to push her off. “But darl, you need to have empathy to be a psychologist.”

Harry had rolled his eyes. “I want to work with children Mum, they don’t have real feelings.”

His Mum had frowned but hugged him close to her again, still sniffling and clinging on.

So he wondered again why he would need to know a single thing about Freud, who sounded like a pervert and whose stuff had all pretty much been discounted by now. He liked Piaget a lot more, and Skinner, because those guys did cool studies and didn’t just pull random shit out of their ass and call it science. 

 

“So what did you learn about today?” Liam asked him. When he didn’t have assignments to work on in the library, Harry usually hung out with Liam in the research building. Spare afternoons he spent with Niall at the campus bar. 

“Freud. Again.” Harry muttered, watching Liam poke and prod at a dead starfish. He had to look away when Liam pulled out his scalpel. 

“I don’t get why you hate him so much. He was very influential.”

“Yeah, like a million years ago. I don’t need to hear about penis envy. And did you know that he thought that people were gay because they were so in love with their mother that they didn’t want to sleep with any other woman, so they slept with men instead? Does that make sense to you?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s right but it does align with his other theories. He was quite stable with his theories.”

“No he wasn’t. Ugh, stop defending Freud, will you? He’s not your best mate, I am.”

“I think if I was in that time, I’d be friends with Freud.” Liam mused to himself, pushing the starfish under a microscope and looking through the eyepiece. “Not as close as I would be with Newton though, obviously.”

“Obviously. I know how gravity turns you on.” Harry snidely replied. “God you’re weird. It’s nearly 2, I’m going to go find Niall.”

 

Niall was already at the bar, talking to a pretty girl in a skirt too short for Uni. And she was wearing heels. 

Harry slumped down on the seat next to Niall and glared at the girl until she left.

“What’s up with you?”

“Liam’s new best mate Freud.”

“Uh, of course.” Niall said with a grin.

“Did you go to your classes today?”

“Yeah, the one with the hot lecturer. She was wearing her glasses today. I love when she wears her glasses.” Niall sighed and slumped onto the table, chin on his crossed forearms.

“I wish I had hot lecturers, but they're all at least sixty. And my tutors are all girls.” Harry said, and mirrored Niall’s position so they were eye level. 

“Speaking of hot people, I’m going to Louis’ tonight if you want to come.” 

Harry grimaced and grumbled out a no. Since Uni started, it had always just been him, Niall and Liam. They’d met through the Uni website, on a student messageboard that was dedicated to people that were seeking roommates. Harry had met Liam first over coffee, and liked him because he was painfully honest and inappropriate. Then they met Niall, who just seemed like one of those people that got along with everyone, and made fighting with him impossible. Plus, he had a thing for doing the dishes and hoovering, which were Harry’s least favourite things in the whole world. He was perfect. 

But the fact that he wanted to make new friends, with the model neighbours no less, was very annoying. Harry didn’t want things to be different; he didn’t want new friends and he most certainly didn’t want their dynamic to change. But it was going to. It was obvious because Liam spent every waking minute at home looking through the door’s peephole to wait for Zayn to get home, just so he could accost the guy in the hallway with a ‘how was your day?’ with the hope that he would be invited over. He hadn’t been, not by Zayn anyway. And Louis always seemed to be loitering around the halls or in the elevator or in their building’s foyer. He would come up to Harry, face always pink, and talk to him like they were good mates and not just acquaintances. It was annoying, is what it was. 

“I was thinking of inviting them over to our's some time. Liam would love that, and Louis seems like a nice guy.” Niall said, breaking Harry out of his reverie. 

Harry scrunched up his nose. “Well do it tomorrow, I’m going out.”

 

Harry didn’t really get out in time. He had been opening the door to leave when he practically ran into Louis’ fist, which was up like he had just been about to knock on the door. Harry figured he was, by the wide eyed, startled look he was sporting.

“Hey Harry.” He squeaked.

“Hey Louis. Zayn.” He added with a nod to the other boy. Zayn was wearing a leather jacket and had his hands in his pockets, glaring at a spot on the wall. He was such an angry thing, compared to Louis who was all fidgety and smiley and eager to please. 

“Where are you going?” Louis asked when Harry strode past him.

“A gig.”

“Can I come?” Louis squeaked, again, and Harry decided that kid needed to be oiled up. Harry grinned as he imagined Louis as the tin man, and Louis smiled wide back. Then Harry’s thoughts went a bit dirty and he had to pull himself together.

“No, you can’t.” Harry said quickly and headed to the elevator. He groaned when he heard the patter of Louis’ footsteps that were becoming far too familiar behind him.

“Is it sold out?”

“No. But you shouldn’t just ask ‘can I come’ to a gig when you don’t even know who's performing. I don’t like that.” Harry willed the elevator to hurry the fuck up.

“Who's performing?”

Harry sighed. “Ben Howard.”

“Is he your mate?”

Harry looked at him with a glare. “No, he’s properly famous.”

“Oh. So can I come, now that I know?”

“No, because you don’t know who he is.” 

“When I know, can I come?” Louis asked as the door pinged open and Harry rushed into it.

After the millionth press of the down button, he said “No, but maybe when I go to a Taylor Swift concert I’ll invite you along.” 

Louis smiled wide, which actually made Harry feel a bit too guilty to tack on the ‘which will be never’ to the end of his sentence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're new to my fic, I have to tell you that I update often but they're usually short chapters. Sorry!

Liam was having a lot of trouble coming up with a word that rhymed with ebony. He really wanted his poem to include the line ‘His glossy hair as black as ebony’ but he couldn’t come up with something that could follow. And he was starting to think of Snow White, which Zayn was nothing like, so maybe that line would have to be scrapped all together. Plus, surely Liam could come up with something better and not so cliché. Maybe Zayn’s hair could be black like onyx, but then that would be too many rock references, and what the hell rhymed with onyx? If Zayn had eyes like topaz and hair like onyx, he may as well be a big giant stone hybrid. Zayn’s expression was always stoney, Liam mused, so maybe this could work. And phonics rhymed with onyx.

“So, Liam.” Louis interrupted his thoughts, and he hesitantly tore his gaze from Zayn to focus on the other model in the room. Liam felt a bit sorry for Louis, to be always next to Zayn, sex-on-legs.

“Yes?”he asked slowly. He figured Louis must be a bit slow. Models weren’t known for being very bright. If they had a brain, wouldn’t they know that looks fade and modelling couldn’t be a lifelong career? Louis should start looking for another career, before he got too old. Zayn was obviously bright though, he knew about inhalers and he was an exception to every rule.

“What music do you like?” Louis asked with a small smile. That was another thing Liam noticed about Louis, that he only had small smiles. Maybe it was because he had a little mouth. Liam didn’t think so though.

“I listen to whatever Harry gives me.” Liam replied.

"Oh. Could you maybe give me some music then? Like what Harry likes?" Louis asked hopefully. Oh, another person who likes Harry. Liam really did feel very sorry for Louis now.

“Have you ever thought about being a florist?” he asked instead.

Louis blinked. “No.”

“Maybe you should consider it.” Liam said with a friendly smile. He knew that he could say the wrong things sometimes, judging by Louis’ face he did just that, but a smile usually got him out of everything.

“Not that you’re not attractive enough to be a model!” Niall quickly said. Oh, that’s how it must have sounded.

“No, I didn’t mean that. Just that it might be a better career choice for you. Looks fade you know.” Liam explained. He must have dug himself into a hole, because Niall face-palmed. “But you have them now, that’s the main thing.” He added on. Sometimes words could dig Liam further down into the ground, but sometimes they were like a ladder to get him back out. He sure hoped it was the latter. Or ladder, he thought with a snigger. It earned him funny looks, but Liam knew they’d be laughing too if they could read his mind. 

“Umm. Thanks?”

“You don’t have to be so rude.” Zayn grunted and stood up so he was looming over Liam. Liam saw him at a whole new angle; right up his nose.

“Zayn.” Louis warned.

“No, I can’t stand people like him! You know, just because you’re smart it doesn’t mean you can talk to us like we’re idiots.” The boy huffed and stormed out of the room. It was the most words Liam had heard him speak in a row. Zayn had a lovely voice.

“Sorry about him.” Louis muttered. 

“I don’t mind.” Liam said with a friendly smile. “I like to hear him speak, and he spoke!”

Louis looked at him, forehead creased in confusion and corners of his mouth turned downwards. “But he told you off.”

“I’m just happy that he showed a feeling towards me.” Liam explained. Louis looked at Niall, who shrugged.

“You’ll get used to it.” Niall said with a grin. Liam nodded his head in agreement.

 

Liam started leaving Zayn apology notes on his neighbours’ door. When the boy grunted something under his breath, ripped up the paper and threw it at Liam’s door, he knew he had to do something different. 

He started blasting songs about apologising through Zayn’s door, but that just seemed to make Zayn angrier. He started leaving little notes with compliments written on them under the door, because who doesn’t like reading nice things about themself? Zayn clearly didn’t; Liam still hadn’t heard a single thing from him.

He figured a batch of cookies would be a good idea. He’d never made some, but his Mum could do it so he knew he could too. He pulled up a recipe on his phone, and when he realised he didn’t have about half of the ingredients he grabbed an environmentally safe shopping bag and skipped out of his apartment.

He passed Harry with a grin and a wave, the curly haired boy giving him one of his best incredulous looks, and continued to skip to the elevator. It beeped open straight away, and Liam felt like the universe was encouraging him. He ignored the rational part of his brain that was reminding him that Harry had obviously just come out of the elevator, because that frontal lobe of his was going to be in timeout today. The only thing Liam would be listening to was his heart. His Mum always said he had a good heart, so if he was going to win back Zayn he would use the best part of himself. And another thing his Mum always said was that the quickest way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. So if Liam gave Zayn his big heart and a batch of cookies, how could the pretty man refuse?

If Zayn did refuse him, he was so going to blame his Mum.


	4. Chapter 4

Louis flicked through the channels and sighed because there just wasn’t anything on, which meant waiting for Zayn to get ready would feel like way longer. He loved his friend, he really did, but the guy sure spent a long time on his hair. And they were just going to the pub downstairs for dinner. Sure, some of their new friends from work were coming, but Louis didn’t think Zayn even liked any of them. 

“I have a reputation to uphold Louis, you know that.” Zayn explained as they got into the elevator. 

Louis waited until Zayn stopped eyeing himself in the reflective surface and gave him his full attention before asking “Do you like one of the guys from work?”

“Nah, they’re all dicks.” Zayn grumbled with a pout. On a scale of Zayn’s pouts, where one was no pout and ten was a full on scowl, it had to be about a three; just a slight purse of his lips.

“Randy is quite nice.”

Zayn gave him a seven. “His name is Randy. That is enough to not like him.”

“That’s not very nice Zayn.” Louis scolded.

“I know. That’s why I said it.”

Louis still didn’t understand Zayn’s need to be bitchy, but he had accepted it by now. They had been friends since meeting at a modelling job. Louis felt bad because Zayn had no friends, so he fought his way through the boy’s defences and made a nice little nest for himself in there, as close to Zayn’s heart as anyone had ever been. He had a habit of that since primary school, making friends with the ones that no one else liked. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the misfits, with his pretty face and athletic body and nice clothes, but he liked it there. It felt right. 

 

Zayn pushed open the door to the pub. It was called ‘Wheelbarrow’, but everyone called it the barrow. He’d picked it up from Niall, and using that term always made him feel like he belonged there with all the other regulars and London folk. 

“No fucking way.” Zayn growled. He was staring at something with eyes like slits, and Louis followed his gaze to where Liam, Niall and Harry were all sitting at the bar, talking and laughing together. “If that nerd comes anywhere near me, we are going.”

“You shouldn’t call him a nerd. He’s a nice guy, just a bit odd.” Louis said quickly. He actually liked Liam, even if the guy had insulted him at least six times. He meant well, that was the important thing.

Zayn gave him a number 6 scowl. “He is a nerd though. Have you heard him talk about those bloody starfish? If I hear the words ‘regenerating limbs’ one more time...”

“So you’ve been listening to him then?” Louis interrupted, unable to keep from teasing his friend.

“Like twice, okay? That was enough. And you’re not the one who he is stalking.” Zayn said, and Louis knew it was time to lay off before his eight scowl became a nine. Even though Louis wanted to find out what else Zayn had heard Liam say, because his friend didn’t ever listen to anyone that he didn’t deem worthy of his time. It sounded arrogant, but it was just Zayn.

“Randy’s waving.” Louis muttered, and Zayn groaned but headed over to the table of six pretty boys waiting for them.

“Hi.” They all said at once, with white toothy grins, which was a bit creepy.

“Hey. Sorry we’re late.” Louis told them, and Zayn just grunted out a noise that could count as a greeting.

“That’s okay. Even if we did come to this place because you live like, literally next door.” A guy called Jake said. While his words suggested that he wasn’t happy, he was still grinning and he sounded really excited as he said it. He was really strange, but Louis did always try to like strange.

“Yeah.” Louis said simply. What else could he say to that, really? “Uh, so have you all ordered?”

“Nah, waiting for you weren’t we. We’re polite, you know?” a third person said, and sent Zayn a scathing look. Louis always forgot this guy’s name, but just remembered him as the one who got rejected by Zayn a lot. 

Louis gave a small smile when a menu was pushed in front of him, and watched as all the other guys started heading over to the bar to order their meals. 

“What do I get?” Louis asked Zayn quickly. He hated making decisions for himself, even small ones like this. 

“Just get a steak and chips. And get me one too, while you’re up there.” Zayn said, passing Louis money. “And a beer. I need one, Liam has spotted us.” Louis looked over at the table of his potential new friends and grinned at them, waving back when Liam waved. It was just the tiniest bend of his wrist, back and forth, but it was adorable. 

“I’m going to go say hi.” Louis announced.

“Well I’ll order the food then.” Zayn said with a scowl (a 5.5) and made his way to the bar.

 

Louis mainly spoke to Niall, and Liam chimed in every now and then with some obscure facts which probably related to the conversation in his mind, but Louis and Niall couldn’t quite make the connection. Harry just sat at the bar looking sour and giving Louis funny looks sometimes. Louis couldn’t really think of anymore ways to get Harry to like him. It was becoming a problem, because everyone liked Louis and he hadn’t really done anything to deserve Harry’s dislike. An Aunt of his used to always say that sometimes people just didn’t click, but Louis had never experienced that. Plus, he was more than happy to click with Harry, it was just Harry that didn’t want to click with him.

Louis jumped when he was pinched on the ass, and turned to find Jake grinning behind him.

“Who are your friends?” he asked. After introducing them all, Jake asked “Are you coming back to the table now babe? I got you a drink.”

“Oh, alright. Catch you all at home, probably.” Louis told them and followed the always smiling Jake back to their table. He turned to find Harry looking even more pissed off, and Niall grinning, and Liam doing his cute little wave.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And heeeeere's another!
> 
> Let me know what you're thinking guys!! Comments are very motivating for me ;)

Zayn groaned, giving up on the tiny bit of hair that just wouldn’t go right, and turned to Louis.

“Can I use my laptop yet?”

“I’m nearly finished.” Louis muttered, typing rapidly, fingers flying.

Zayn hovered over Louis’ shoulder and read the tiny screen. Zayn had just made out that it was a gig guide when Louis flicked back over to a document in Word, where Louis was making his own kind of timetable.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m writing down the gigs I reckon Harry would go to and what days they’re on. Then next time he has a gig on, I’ll know who he’s seeing and I can go.”

Zayn furrowed his brow. He knew Louis quite well by now, enough to know how obsessive he could be about things, so he wasn’t really surprised that Louis was going to such lengths to get Harry’s attention. He just didn’t understand why it was Harry’s attention Louis was trying to get. Plus, Zayn could admit to himself, he was jealous. The last time Louis tried so hard at something was when Zayn wasn’t talking to him, and the boy managed to push and push at Zayn until he caved in and met up with Louis. He remembered thinking Louis was cute, and could possibly be a good shag, so he agreed to meet up for drinks with the shorter boy. After listening to him prattle on, he knew that Louis intrigued him, because it was obvious even then how much Louis cared for just about everyone. It made it more believable, then, that Louis would care about Zayn too. 

“Why do you care about Harry anyway? I know it can’t be because you want everyone to like you, you’ve not cared about people a lot nicer than him.”

Louis’ shoulders slumped and he finally turned away from the screen. “I know. I’ve been thinking about it and I think... I just want something for myself, you know? And Harry is what I want.”

Zayn squeezed his friend’s shoulder in comfort, and Louis grinned up at him. Zayn didn’t touch people a lot, so when he did it was a pretty big deal. The even bigger deal, though, was that Louis was admitting that he wanted something. 

Ever since Zayn had known him, Louis never ever mentioned wanting something. Not even a type of chips that he craved, or a movie he wanted to see. He just never took something for himself, he just always gave. When Zayn asked him, Louis said that he did want, he wanted to help people, but the reasoning behind it was never because of a feeling it gave him or for the person’s gratefulness in return. He said it was because that’s all he knew how to do, that’s all he’d ever done. 

Louis, like Zayn, didn’t have a lot of money. That’s why they were both modelling in the first place, because for guys who looked like them it was an easy way to earn some. But while Zayn was doing it to save up for a Uni course, Louis was doing it to help out his Mum and his sisters. On an alcohol infused night, when Zayn told Louis that he'd been kicked out for drug dealing, and they'd both admitted to being gay, Louis admitted that back home he had always helped his Mum and his sisters, and when he wasn’t helping his sisters he was helping kids that were being bullied at school. And then there was the old lady across the street who always managed to lose her cats, and his Aunt who needed a babysitter more often than not, and an online friend who always threatened suicide. So no, Louis had never done anything crazy in his life. Moving away from home was the craziest thing he'd ever done. Zayn gathered that Louis only knew how to help, so him wanting something for himself was a fucking huge deal.

 

Zayn had been avoiding this for as long as possible, but he really needed to get some milk. And as scared as he was of leaving his place, he was even more scared of what Louis would be like if there was no milk for his tea because Zayn had cereal for dinner. 

He hesitantly pushed the door open, and felt a wave of relief because the door across the hall didn’t fly open as well. He grinned and grabbed his coat and his wallet and strode to the elevator, feeling safe because his stalker obviously wasn’t home.

His blood ran cold when the elevator pinged open and Liam slid out, wide eyed.

“Hello.” Liam said with a grin. Zayn had to admit, his stalker had nice lips and when they smiled his eyes lit up in a pretty way. But he was still a stalker, so Zayn didn’t reply and gave Liam as wide a berth as he could manage to get into the lift. “Do you not like biscuits?”

“Sorry?” Zayn asked, and inwardly kicked himself because he was meant to be ignoring the puppy-man who liked starfish and staring.

“I made you biscuits and I found them in the garbage bin.” Liam explained, and his pretty brown eyes were cold and not like the hot chocolate they usually were when he looked at him. “I spent a long time on those; you could have at least tried one.”

“I. I’m sorry.” Zayn muttered, and was surprised that he was. He actually felt sorry. But he had to ask. “Have you been going through my rubbish?” The scarlet colour of Liam’s face as the elevator doors closed was enough of an answer for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Niall realised after his first semester of Uni that he really liked to people watch. It was probably the only reason that he still went. 

He’d never wanted to become a teacher, but there weren’t really any other courses that remotely appealed to him so he settled on an education degree. All it really did for him was help him realise how much he didn’t want to be a teacher, and give him an endless supply of new people to look at. 

He’d pick classes from varying degrees so he wouldn’t get the same people in his classes, and he got away with it because he just told his parents that it would help him discover what he wanted to do with his life. 

The bar became his favourite place to hang out, because he could see how the people he had been watching all day interacted with others. Sometimes he went to the library to people watch, and compare the movements and expressions of those that were clearly stressing about an assignment and doing work to those that were just killing time between classes.

Niall had the tendency to get bored of people easily. A big reason why he liked Harry and Liam so much was because their personalities and interactions with others were fascinating, and he never got bored of them. But after living with them for almost two years now, they were beginning to become predictable. 

Liam would spend almost all of his time at Uni, working on his research, and Harry would go to all of his classes, come back home to mope in his room, then leave in the evenings to go to a gig alone or get a drink or two. 

Liam liked meeting new people, he just hadn’t worked out how to keep them around, and Harry hated it. 

Liam met someone who he idolised and would follow them around until he got sick of being ignored, and someone would fall in love with Harry but the idiot would be oblivious. For all his talk about meeting a hot guy, Harry had had a million fall at his feet and he would just walk over all of them.

Liam was happy to let everyone into his life, but Harry was happy with just his two friends. Part of the reason Niall was so interested in Louis and Zayn was because they renewed his fascination with Harry and Liam; they were changing things.

 

Liam had admitted that what he felt for Zayn wasn’t idolisation, but a crush (or as Liam put it, he wanted to “have sex with him and cook him chipolatas in the morning”). And Niall had noticed how disappointed Harry was that Louis had a boyfriend. It only showed in the slightest drop of his mouth when he saw Louis walk off with a guy at the bar, but Niall had watched Harry enough to know that a lot more was going on inside his head then on his face. 

Not only did Niall like having Louis and Zayn around to watch how his friends interacted with them, but they were also new people for him to study. He’d read a lot from Louis. It was obvious the guy was a people pleaser, who was kind to everyone and loved Zayn dearly. Zayn was quite confusing, but Niall figured that his scolding face was a mask and his cold demeanour was an act. He noticed that the guy cared a lot for Louis, and bad people just didn’t care like that. 

So, Niall had hope for Liam and Zayn. Once you got used to Liam, it was impossible not to love him. When his words became less shocking and you gained the ability to see the good intentions behind them, they could bring a smile to your face and warm your heart like no others’ words could. Liam would be good for Zayn, because something told Niall that smouldering boy needed honesty. Zayn just had to realise it first, and Niall would have to be the man to help them out. 

As for Harry and Louis, they were going to be a bit tougher. Harry was going to have to let Louis in, notice what his feelings were, not reject them and tell Louis. Louis wore his feelings on his sleeve, so all that boy had to do was be patient with Harry. Harry was worth waiting for; Niall just hoped Louis knew that.

 

Niall had been sleeping on the couch when a sudden banging noise woke him. He sat up with a jolt and looked to the kitchen, where Liam was standing wide eyed. 

“I dropped my glass, and it didn’t break.” The brown eyed boy said, and Niall smiled warmly. While Niall was fascinated in people, Liam was amazed by just about everything. “It should have broken, but I wonder why it didn’t?” 

“I don’t know Liam. What time is it?” Niall asked as he rubbed his eyes and turned off the TV that he had left on. Obviously it had been a boring game that Niall couldn’t keep his eyes open for.

“Four twenty. Did you have classes today?” 

Niall watched Liam fill up the glass that he had just dropped from the tap. “Nah, I got a day off today. Can you grab me one of those?”

Liam nodded and grabbed a glass out of the dishwasher. “I got my work done early. Is Zayn coming over today?”

“No. Me and Louis are going for a drink at the barrow if you want to come.”

Liam handed Niall his water and joined him on the couch. “I suppose. Just for one drink though.”

 

One drink always became three, but one drink was more than enough; Liam was incredibly sensitive when it came to alcohol. Niall was just glad his friend was a giggly drunk, not a depressed one. 

“You know, I don’t think I’ve seen Zayn smile yet.” Liam was telling Louis as he sipped his third beer, cheeks flushed and nose slightly pink. “I don’t know how I’ll write about it in my poem if I haven’t even seen it.”

“You’re writing a poem?” Louis asked with wide eyes, glancing to Niall with raised eyebrows. “I don’t think he’ll like that.”

“Nonsense. That is the number one first thing you do-“ he hiccupped “- when you romance a boy.”

“Umm, maybe if you’re romancing a girl it would work?” Louis said carefully. Niall wished the boy was sure enough in himself to not turn everything into a question. 

“No silly, Zayn is a girl.” Liam frowned. “No, a boy. He’s a boy isn’t he?” 

Niall grinned and nodded.

“Right, Harry’s a boy. My brain is too big, it makes my head heavy.” He announced as he dropped his head to rest his forehead on the cold marble bar top. He turned his head to look at Louis. “You like boys don’t you Louis?”

“Ye-yeah?”

“Good. You should have sex with Harry. I think he needs that.” Liam said loudly and Louis turned tomato red. He looked worse than Niall did when he got sunburnt, and that was not pretty.

“Is- does he like boys?”

“He says so.” Liam rolled his eyes. “I haven’t seen him bring someone home ever, but I did catch him watching some porn once and there weren’t any women in it.” Niall probably should have told Liam to stop there, but he was having a little too much fun. “And he was definitely masturbating to it. I hate that word, masturbating. It just sounds too formal, when there isn’t any formality in it. I’ve never thought so anyway. It’s –“

Niall cleared his throat and turned to Louis, because that boy looked like he was about to faint in embarrassment. “So Louis, anything new?”

Louis flickered his eyes around the room, probably checking if anyone else had heard Liam’s little spiel, before shaking his head. “I was wondering though, if you could help me? With something that’s not important though, just if you’re free.”

“What is it?”

“I wanted to get tickets to a show for me and Harry to go to, but I don’t know what he’ll like. There’s just so many shows on all over London every night, and I don’t know where to start.” Louis said, and he was back to being flustered.

“If you have the ability to perform miracles, he’s been dying for tickets to the Matt Corby gig tomorrow night, but it sold out like a month ago.” 

Louis nodded quickly. “Yeah, okay. I can do that” he said, and Niall couldn’t doubt the look of pure determination on that elfin face.


	7. Chapter 7

After the third crashing noise, Harry gave in to his curiosity and pulled open his bedroom door. He took in the mess on the kitchen floor and the wide eyed boy standing over it.

“Liam, what the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m trying to work out why this glass won’t break, but all the others do. Watch.” Liam proceeded to drop a glass, and it smashed along with all of the others. Liam frowned. “Oh.”

“It’s called luck Liam, or did you think your mate Newton missed something? Fucking hell, clean up the mess!” Harry growled and went back into his room. 

He’d just settled back onto his bed and reopened the game of solitaire on his laptop when there was a knock at his door.

“What the fuck do you want?” Harry yelled. 

The door creaked open and a face a lot smaller then Liam’s peeked through the gap. “Sorry, are you busy?”

Harry ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “No Louis, come in.” Louis practically tiptoed in and started to look all around the room, gaze taking in the posters and the photos and finally settling on Harry. “What do you want then?” Harry prompted, because the boy was still just staring at him and it felt weird.

“Just to know if you’re free tonight? I have a spare ticket to a band that I thought you’d want to go to?”

Harry grimaced. “What are they called?”

“Matt Corby?”

“That’s a singer, not a band.” Harry replied, but immediately sat up straighter. He’d realised too late that one of his favourite artists were playing in London and missed out on tickets by weeks. “How did you get tickets?”

“I got them ages ago.” Harry noticed the way Louis looked down and not at him when he said it, but he didn’t care enough to ask for the truth.

“Alright, yeah. How many tickets have you got?”

“Just two. For me and you.” 

“Sick.” Harry replied with a grin, and Louis sent him a small hesitant smile as his cheeks reddened. 

“I’ll want to get dinner first, before the gig? So we have to do that.” 

“Yeah, whatever.” Harry said with a shrug, and Louis’ face brightened.

“Okay, it’s a date.” He said and skipped out of the room before Harry could correct the boy.

 

Louis looked like he’d walked straight out of a hipster magazine, wearing a blue patterned button-down shirt, really tight jeans and some black framed glasses. His hair was quiffed and his ass looked amazing and Harry felt like he had to pick his jaw up off the floor. Louis looked sexy as fuck.

Harry looked down at the white shirt and black jeans combo he always wore and grimaced. He pulled off his beanie and told Louis to wait for a second while he fixed up his hair and grabbed some necklaces his sister gave him, and pulled on a nice jacket he bought but never wore. 

He came out of his room and announced, avoiding Louis’ speckled gaze, “Let’s roll.”

 

They’d settled on Chinese for dinner, considering the gig was right near China Town. Harry’s mood had gone down since the Tube ride, where everyone stared at Louis and looked right through him. Girls giggled and guys admired his outfit, and Harry just glared at them all. Could they not see that Louis and he were on a date? They were being terribly rude. 

“So what do you want to get?” Louis asked, looking at Harry over his glasses. Harry didn’t realise he had a thing for glasses until now. They just seemed to enhance Louis’ eyes or something, and make it impossible for Harry to look away from them.

“Anything that doesn’t have prawns in it.” Harry grumbled, crossing his arms on the table and continuing to watch Louis read the menu. He wondered if the glasses helped him read.

Louis’ perfect little eyebrows grew tighter together as his forehead creased. “So, a chicken thing and a duck thing?”

“Alright.” Harry replied. After their order was taken and the waiter toddled off, Harry asked “Do you like poultry?”

A small smile spread over Louis’ face, and Harry kicked himself because what kind of question was that? “I do, yes. Do you not like seafood?”

“Hate it.”

“Did you, um, have a bad experience?”

Harry scrunched up his face. “No, it just tastes rotten.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Louis muttered, and an awkward silence fell over their little booth. Harry didn’t like that, which was weird because usually he liked people best when they didn’t say anything. 

The food arrived, which was two blessings in one because, not only could Harry finally fill his belly, but he could listen Louis talk about how good everything was. He made little appreciative noises too, which was nice. 

Harry didn’t realise he’d been smiling until Louis’ finger jabbed his cheek. “You have dimples. I didn’t know that, I don’t really see you smile much.” Louis said, and then blushed red. “Not that it’s a bad thing or whatever, you’re just not smiley. That’s okay, not everyone-“

“Louis, its fine.” Harry assured him. Louis started nodding and went back to picking at the food on his plate. “Do you know how to use chopsticks?” Harry asked suddenly. 

“Yeah, I do.” Louis said, face brightening. “Need me to show you?” he asked, and Harry nodded. Louis’ technique was all wrong, he himself was a champion at them, but Harry followed his instructions anyway. He went so far as to let one roll down the back of his hand just so Louis could fit it back into place, fingers grazing against his for a moment. It left a warm, tingling sensation on his skin. Harry held the long red sticks at an awkward angle and looked up at Louis, who made an adorable tutting noise. 

“No, like this.” he said as he moved Harry’s fingers to the proper place (or at least, what Louis thought was right). “Like you’re holding a pencil.”

“Oh, I get it.” Harry said, and looked up at Louis from under his lashes. Louis watched him pick up a bit of chicken and put it between his teeth, and he blushed when Harry licked some sauce of his lips. “Like that?”

“Yeah, just like that.” Louis replied, eyes unable to look away from Harry’s now-grinning mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

Liam had been running through some numbers on his laptop when he heard bumping and giggling outside of his room. He squinted at the clock and read that it was way past midnight. This much noise at this time just wouldn’t do. When there was a loud thump on the wall next to his door, Liam swung the door open and frowned at the person, or people, that had made it. 

Harry had Louis against the wall and was kissing him hard, and Liam clapped his hands loudly until Harry pulled off him. 

“Quiet down, will you!” Liam snapped, and Harry grinned. Louis nodded, face pink and lips swollen, before Harry pulled him into his room and slammed the door shut. Well, Liam thought, Harry definitely was gay. 

Liam was still a little annoyed at Harry for being mean about the broken glass, so he considered ruining their sexy fun. But, he was very very happy for Louis. 

After Harry accepted his gig tickets earlier that day, Louis came tumbling out of the bedroom with a wide smile. Then it fell slightly.

“What is it?” Liam asked from where he was squatting on the ground with a dustpan and brush, collecting the shattered glass.

“Harry said yes to the gig, but I don’t know what to wear. Is Niall here? To come to work and help me choose something?”

“No, but I can help.” Liam offered cheerily, choosing to ignore the way Louis’ face dropped further.

“Oh. Uh, okay?” Louis said with one of his tiny, quick smiles. 

 

Liam was skipping by the time they got to Louis’ work building. Louis said Zayn was in there, and it had been at least six hours since Liam had seen him. 

“They let us take clothes we model home sometimes from the clients.” Louis had told Liam as they climbed up the stairs. Louis was huffing, but Liam himself was fine. Fitness was important to him so he went to the Uni gym every morning for at least an hour. He had a great body; he didn’t feel bad admitting that. “I just need something that will make me look good and that Harry will like.”

“Okay.” Liam didn’t really know anything at all about what Harry would like, but he wasn’t going to tell Louis that in case he didn’t let him come to see Zayn at work. Hopefully he was doing some underwear modelling.

Liam followed Louis through a door that said ‘7’ on it, and walked into a small foyer with just a lady at her desk. She looked very over-the-top, and had really long sparkly nails that clacked on the keyboard in a way that sent a shiver down Liam’s spine. 

“Are those real?” he asked the lady after Louis walked past her with a polite smile. Louis gasped and grabbed Liam’s arm before pulling him through another door.

“Liam, you can’t just ask that!” he chastised with a grimace. It was very unbecoming. “She might have had her – breasts enlarged – but it doesn’t mean you can ask!”

“I was talking about her nails. I didn’t see her fake boobs though.” Liam stared longingly back at the door they had come through. He’d have to have a look on their way out. 

“Right. Umm, that’s probably rude too?”

Liam ignored him. “So where’s Zayn?”

Louis pulled his phone out and pushed some buttons. “I told him to meet us in the dresser.”

The ‘dresser’ turned out to be a giant room filled with racks of clothes that all had little signs above them. Liam figured that they were magazine names, but he’d only heard of two of them.

“So, you’re going to a gig.” Liam said simply. “Is there, like, a music magazine outfit you have here?”

Louis frowned. “They don’t advertise clothes in music magazines, so we don’t model clothes for them.” The door swung open, and Zayn strode in. He had a shirt on, which was disappointing.

“Alright, you’re going to a gig. Go for that shirt you wore in yesterday’s shoot, and the jeans Randy wore this morning would look good on you. You’ll have to roll them up, but that could look cool. Wear your glasses, and I’ll look for some boots.” It was the most Liam had ever heard Zayn talk, and it was beautiful. There was a certain rhythm when he spoke. Liam had followed Zayn to where he was shuffling through a box of shoes. “Louis, why is the nerd here?” he shouted. Liam grinned; Zayn just recognised his existence!

“To help.” Louis yelled back from where he was by the door. “And I promised to show him around the studio.” He added, and Liam was grateful for the lie. “Maybe you could do it for me?”

“Fuck off.” Zayn said with a scowl as he handed Louis some dark brown lace up boots. “You brought him here, you can do it yourself.”

 

Liam got to see where Louis and Zayn worked, and he even watched some photoshoots. He got to watch one that Zayn was in, and it was fascinating watching the way he moved. He just had to tilt his head minutely and Liam would be enraptured all over again. The photographer kept giving him directions, and Liam didn’t like it. Zayn did it perfectly himself, thank you very much Mr photographer. 

“Can we go?” Louis suddenly whispered, and Liam noticed he was red again. 

Before Liam could say something, a brunette boy with blue eyes approached them with a wide smile. “Hi Louis, excited for the gig tonight?”

“Yeah. My, uh, sister was very grateful.” Louis replied, and shot Liam a warning look. He grimaced, but took the hint.

“Good, I’m glad. I’m looking forward to taking you out tomorrow night. Are you working this afternoon?” the guy asked, and Liam couldn’t listen anymore because he was being interrupted by a shirtless blonde man with an eight pack.

“Hi, I’m Troy.” The guy said, and Liam scoffed. He looked like a Troy.

The blondie frowned so Liam plastered on a smile. “I’m Liam.”

“Don’t you think you should be going now?” Zayn appeared out of nowhere with a frown on his face, directed at Troy. 

“Yeah, we should probably head off now Liam.” Louis chimed in. 

“Oh, we didn’t get to talk. Can I’ve you’re number then?” Troy asked. Zayn scowled and Louis grimaced, and Liam grinned. 

“Sure, may I have your phone please?” Liam asked. He really should have thought of it before; the jealousy card! He’d seen enough romantic comedies with his Mum to know that making the guy jealous always worked (after a few mishaps, but Liam could totally put up with those for Zayn). He punched his number into Blondie’s phone with a smile, and turned to Louis. “Let’s go then, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Louis' chapter is next, so don't worry! You'll see (read?) the larry sexy times.
> 
> I should have it done by tonight or tomorrow morning :)
> 
> In the meantime, feedback would be appreciated!!! xo


	9. Chapter 9

Louis was dropped onto the bed, Harry immediately climbing on top of him to kiss at his neck as he undid the buttons on his shirt. Harry left the shirt on but open and stroked Louis’ sides, kissing along his jaw until their lips crashed together. Louis shivered when one of Harry’s necklaces fell against his bare stomach, small bit of metal freezing cold and brushing so lightly along his torso. 

Louis moaned and Harry smirked against his lips before pulling his own shirt off, necklaces along with it. Harry sat, straddled on Louis’ hips and just stared. Louis blushed and looked down, and reddened further when he caught sight of Harry’s chest and abs and dark hair running down from his navel. Louis reached out to undo Harry’s jeans, desperate to see more.

It was like something was released in Harry, and the curly haired boy groaned and hovered over Louis on his hands and knees, making it easier for Louis to get the jeans down past his ass. Harry rolled off Louis to pull them off completely before working at Louis’ jeans. 

“You bottom yeah?” Harry muttered as he pulled at Louis’ incredibly tight jeans with difficulty. He had to get off the bed and stand, putting all his weight behind it while Louis held on to the head board. 

“I’m versatile.” Louis squeaked, as Harry rushed to get on top of him.

“I’ll finally get to oil you up.” Harry said with a small grin. Well that, Louis thought, was an interesting way of putting it.

“I want to suck you first. And then ride you.” Louis got out as Harry licked and sucked at his collarbones. 

“Fuck yeah, okay.” Harry groaned and rolled on to his back, pulling Louis on top of him. “Arse to me though babe, I need to lube you up.”

Louis straddled Harry, facing the back wall rather than Harry’s face, and leaned down to suck at Harry’s quickly hardening cock. Harry moaned and made some kind of rustling sound, which Louis was tempted to check out but he knew the cock down his throat would be a lot more exciting.

He jolted as a lubed finger entered him and groaned around Harry. Another finger entered him and scissored, and Harry quickly pushed in a third. 

“You better get off me now babe or I'll come and I won’t get to be inside you.” Harry grumbled from low in his throat. Louis did not want that, so he pulled off Harry with a pop. Harry passed him a condom and he rolled it on him, then turned back around to face the curly haired head. “You think you’re stretched enough?”

“Yeah.” Louis muttered, and started to lower himself slowly onto Harry with a hiss. He probably hadn’t been opened enough, but he was too desperate for Harry to be inside him. He rocked back and forth experimentally, eliciting a moan from the boy below him, and started to push himself up before dropping himself back down with a groan. 

Harry held on to Louis’ hips firmly, fingertips brushing feather-light strokes along Louis’ lower back, and started to rock his own hips in time with Louis’. 

“Shit, fuck, fuck.” Louis muttered, leaning back to rest his hands behind him on Harry’s thighs. “Oh my God.” He groaned as that sweet spot was hit. Now that he found the angle, he bounced up and down on to Harry’s cock, bringing himself closer and closer. “I’m going to come soon.”

“Good, I’ve been holding out.” Harry laughed dryly, eyes fixed on Louis’. 

“Fuck.” Louis threw his head back, and after a few more bounces he came with a groan. Harry rocked his own hips through Louis’ orgasm, coming as Louis squeezed tighter around him. The smaller boy pulled out and fell onto Harry, utterly spent. 

“Wow.” Harry muttered into the feathery brown hair. “ You had a nice night then?” 

Louis looked up at Harry and grinned. “The very best.”

 

It really had been an amazing date, Louis thought as he watched Harry over a breakfast of jam toast and a cup of tea. The gig was incredible, and Louis couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was all the way home. Harry just watched him blabber on with a small smile on his face, and then as soon as they stepped into the elevator, Harry picked him up and pushed him against the elevator wall, silencing him with his mouth. Then the sex happened and it was fucking incredible. 

“Hey boys.” Niall appeared in the kitchen, wide grin on his face that made Louis blush.

Liam’s door creaked open then, and his head popped out. “So we’re coming out now? Morning!” 

Louis smiled and waved, and Liam returned it in that cute way he does before he joined him at the table. 

“Do you need me to help pick what you’re wearing on tonight’s date then?” Liam asked.

Harry looked up and tilted his head. “Are we doing something again tonight?”

“No, the pale model is –“ Liam got out before Louis’ hand was wrapped around his mouth. 

“He’s what?” Harry asked with a frown.

Liam blinked at Louis, and somehow made it look like an accusation. Louis sighed and admitted “I had to agree to let Jake take me out for drinks to get those gig tickets.” 

Harry’s face relaxed into a blank stare. “Alright.” He shrugged and continued to butter his toast.

“Y-you aren’t bothered?”

“Well we aren’t exactly together are we? You can go on another date if you want.”

“But I don’t want to.” Louis muttered, looking down at his half empty plate.

“Why not? He’s hot.” 

“He really is, Louis.” Liam added with a nod. 

“He’s,” Louis muttered with a frown, swallowing down the ‘he’s not you’ he really wanted to say. “Okay then.”


	10. Chapter 10

Zayn had given up going over to Niall’s with Louis. Not because of Liam’s staring and general weirdness, because he was sort of used to it by now, but because the boy was annoyingly trying to make him jealous. 

Zayn would be sitting on the couch, and Liam would plop down beside him and pull out his phone.

“What are you doing?” he would ask, then always follow it up with something like “I’m just texting my new boyfriend.” Like Zayn gave a fuck. 

So yeah, Zayn started avoiding Niall’s, but that didn’t stop Louis from inviting them all over sometimes. Zayn let Louis get away with it, because he’d been moping about ever since his date with Harry. 

Zayn finally asked what was wrong once, after getting sick of Louis’ sighing, and Louis said “I’ve been trying to put off the date with Jake for as long as possible, but I think I have to go this weekend.” Zayn just told him not to go if he didn’t want to, and Louis had a little hissy fit and stomped to his room. He knew that it wasn’t in Louis to reject someone, and Zayn wished his friend had bigger balls sometimes.

After the fit, the boy had obviously texted Niall because the Irish lad and his mates came over with a carton of beer and matching grins. Louis shuffled out of his room like nothing was wrong and hugged them all, pressing himself against Harry for that little bit too long. 

It was Zayn’s turn to sigh when Liam joined him on the couch. 

“I’ve got a date with Troy tomorrow night.” Liam bragged, and Zayn rolled his eyes. 

“Try to have fun then. He’s an asshole.” Zayn grumbled. 

“You shouldn’t talk like that about my boyfriend.” Liam said, but he was smiling wide. He sucked at this game.

“Just warning you.” Zayn shrugged. He did feel a bit bad for Liam though, because he had a feeling that Troy had something planned for Liam. As annoying as he was, Liam was basically a nice guy. 

 

Zayn was woken by a knock on his bedroom door the following night. It was only 9:00pm. 

“What?” he yelled through the door, and Niall popped his head through and turned the light on, making Zayn cover his eyes and curse under his breath.

“I just knocked in case you were naked or something. Look, I need you to go get Liam from the restaurant. Troy was meant to be there over an hour ago, and Liam is still waiting there because the asshole keeps telling him that he’ll be there any minute. Clearly, Liam’s been stood up but he’s too fucking trusting.”

Zayn grimaced and sat up, eyes still clenched shut. “Why do I have to go?”

“Because you’re the only one that he’ll listen to. Plus, when he finally realises he’s going to be really upset and you’ll make him happy just by being there.” Niall sounded like he was begging now. 

Zayn blinked his eyes open and pushed himself out of bed as he muttered “Fine.”

 

Zayn did feel a little sad when he saw Liam sitting alone at a table in a sweater vest and tanned slacks. He dressed like a preppy American college student, and at first Zayn thought it was weird but he was starting to find it kind of adorable.

“Hey.” Zayn muttered when he was closer, and took the seat across from Liam. 

Liam’s eyes widened with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Troy isn’t coming.”

“But, he’s here! Just in the toilets.”

Zayn frowned. “But Niall said that he stood you up.”

Liam shook his head, eyes wide. “Look down at the table Zayn.” And Zayn did, to notice a dirty plate in front of him and another one in front of Liam. Unless the nerdy boy could eat a lot, there definitely had been two people here.

“That fucker.” Zayn muttered under his breath.

Liam laughed just as Troy showed up. “Zayn?” the blonde asked. He was dressed in light coloured jeans and a grey shirt that was tight enough to reveal his ridiculous muscles underneath. He always fucking hated Troy.

“He’s here to take me home. There’s been an emergency.” Liam quickly said, face suddenly turning serious as he stood up. “I’m sorry to leave you like this, I had a lovely evening.”

Troy still looked like he had just witnessed an alien giving birth. “Right. Okay. Uh, me too.” He finally got out. That boy was not bright. “I’ll see you again soon?”

“Of course, farewell.” Liam said, grabbing Zayn’s hand and pulling him out of the restaurant.

Zayn’s brain finally caught up with the situation and he pulled his hand from Liam’s. “What the fuck Liam? You should have just stayed there with him.”

“Well that would be stupid when I want to spend my night with you.” Liam said in that condescending way he says things.

“But Liam,” Zayn stopped and put his hands on Liam’s shoulders, looking him square in the eyes. “You don’t know me. You know what I look like, that’s it. I rarely talk to you, and when I do I don’t say anything about myself. You feel attracted to me, that’s it.”

“Well then tell me about yourself and I can make a proper judgement. Otherwise I’m just going to keep liking you for your looks.” Liam said with a shrug, like it was that easy.

“Fine. I get enjoyment from being mean to people, I smoke, I laugh when someone falls over, I hate children, I used to deal drugs, Louis’ been the only friend I’ve ever had, I don’t talk to my parents – “ Liam raised a finger and Zayn stopped talking.

“Why do you model?” Liam asked simply. 

Zayn looked to the ground and grimaced. He felt Liam’s finger at his chin, pushing his face back up gently. “I want to save up to go to University.”

“What do you want to study?”

“I want to be a vet.” Zayn admitted, and couldn’t believe that he of all people was blushing.

“You like animals?” Liam asked, and Zayn didn’t know why Liam was being so gentle with him but it made him sway on his feet and he could feel tears prickle behind his eyes and he had no fucking idea why.

Zayn nodded and pushed Liam’s hand away from his face. “Let’s go home then.” Zayn muttered, and Liam gripped his hand and he didn’t for a moment think of unlocking their fingers.


	11. Chapter 11

Niall doubled over in laughter as soon as Zayn left the apartment, clutching his sides when they began to ache.

“What’s so funny?” Louis asked from the couch, frown on his pretty face. “Liam got stood up, that sounds awful!”

“That’s just it though!” Niall said when he could breathe again. “Troy’s there with Liam, and they’re having a lovely time.” 

Louis’ face scrunched up further. “Why did you send out Zayn to get him then?”

Niall grinned. “Because I’m getting them together, aren’t I? It’ll be you and Harry’s turn next.”

Louis’ eyes widened and he shook his head. “No, no, no! You stay out of it. I don’t need any of your evil plans.”

“Too late. Check your text history with Jake.” Niall said with raised eyebrows and sore cheeks from grinning so wide.

“What did you do?” Louis groaned, and Niall skipped back to his own apartment before Louis could say anything. He hadn’t really done anything bad, as such. He just texted Jake from Louis’ phone, saying that Jake should come to Louis’ for drinks the following night. The jealousy card may not have worked for Liam, but it sure as hell would work on Harry. 

 

Niall woke to his ceiling light being switched on and a body throwing itself on top of him.

“What the fuck Niall?” an angry Zayn asked from above him.

“Thanks!” Liam’s voice sounded from somewhere further away. 

“No, no thanks. He ruined a perfectly good date for you and stole two hours of my beauty sleep.”

“But you got to spend some time together, yeah? Had a nice chat and all that?” Niall said, unable to hide his smile despite Zayn’s weight pushing down on his chest and his fingers digging into his ribs. 

“Why aren’t you ticklish?” Zayn cried and climbed off of Niall. “I’m going to bed, but just know this. I am NOT happy.” He stormed off and left a grinning Liam in his wake. 

“Niall, you are the best friend ever.” Liam said, bouncing over to Niall’s bed and climbing in beside the blonde boy. “We talked all the way home and he told me secrets and everything!”

“What did he tell you then?”

Liam grinned. “I can’t tell you, their secrets. But I will say that he’s more than just a pretty face and hot body and sexy voice. He’s smart too, just like I thought!” Liam stared off dreamily into the distance and Niall tried not to snigger too loud. 

“You see him smile yet?”

Liam frowned and looked back into Niall’s blue eyes. “No, not a real one. I suppose that will be next on our agenda then?”

Niall grinned and nodded his head. “One of Zayn’s smiles, coming right up.”

 

Niall was annoyed that he had to go to Uni the following day, considering he had barely any sleep because Liam wanted to talk about Zayn until the early hours of the morning. He was buggered, but he had to finish off an assignment that was due that afternoon yet get home in time to rile Harry up a bit before Louis’ date. 

He’d been sitting in the library, trying not to get distracted by the mismatched group of people that he was dying to analyse, when Liam plopped down beside him. 

“Liam, I really can’t talk right now!” Niall said, resisting the urge to head butt the keyboard in frustration. “I’m trying to edit this and it’s just not working.”

“I’ll do it, I’m the grammar King.” Liam said, pulling the keyboard towards him and grabbing the mouse. He squinted up at the screen and started to read. “Why do you do a ‘History of Dance’ class?”

Niall shrugged. “Still figuring out what I want to do.” He then turned to the group that he’d avoided earlier. 

“And you thought a dance theory class would help?” Liam asked, and Niall controlled the urge to roll his eyes and retort ‘Obviously not’ but then he would have to explain his obsession with people watching and he couldn’t be assed.

Niall shrugged and replied “You never know.” He watched a girl with bright blue hair and a nose ring say something to a skinny blonde that looked like she had just walked off the runway, and was mesmerised by how they laughed together. The blonde laughed like everyone was watching, throwing her head back and stretching her lips wide around her perfect white teeth, and the other girl covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile from the rest of the world. 

“Can you draw?” Liam asked, bring Niall’s attention back to the real world and not the one inside his head, where he was invisible and no one could see him watch.

“I’m alright.” The Irish boy said with a shrug. He was more than alright, but he didn’t know what Liam wanted with that piece of information so he was going to keep it to himself. Liam might have been thinking about getting Zayn a drawing of himself or something, and Niall was not going to put himself in that situation.

“You need to figure out how to people watch for a living. If you could draw, you could be one of those people who sit at the side of rivers and do caricatures of people. Or maybe you could be a mentalist, and use behaviour cues to trick people into believing you’re talking to their dead dog.” Liam rambled on and on, and Niall just watched with wide eyes. He must be more obvious then he thought. But more importantly, Liam had a good point, even if his ideas were a bit outrageous. 

 

Niall just got to the apartment in time to stop Harry from going out.

“I’m sick and you need to stay at home with me.” Niall lied with a pout.

“Can’t Liam look after you? I was just going to get a few drinks.” Harry replied with a scowl.

“You owe me. Remember when you got the flu and I stayed by your side and made you tea and soup.”

“Soup out of a tin, and you were more of a hassle than anything else.” Harry said, but his face fell slightly and Niall knew he had him. 

“Please, just tonight. I feel sick and lonely and I just need a hand to hold during the game tonight.”

“Fine, but we aren’t holding hands.” Harry grimaced, and Niall grinned for about two seconds before he remembered he was meant to be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit of a filler!!
> 
> I'll try to get Harry's chapter done in a few hours!


	12. Chapter 12

So maybe Harry had lied when he said he wouldn’t be bothered by Louis going on a date with someone else. He’d kept up a cold facade the morning after their date together, but really he wanted to lock Louis in his room with all of his other property that no one but him was allowed to touch. 

Harry hadn’t slept with many people before; there’d only been two guys that he liked enough to want to. It’s not like he thought sex was special and sacred and meaningful, but the person he slept with had to at least mean something to him. And once Harry let Louis in a little, he’d realised that the boy meant quite a bit. Or could eventually, because Louis was sweet and hot and looked at Harry like he was the gold at the end of the rainbow. It hurt to think that maybe Louis could look at someone else like that. 

 

“We’re out of milk, can you borrow some from Louis’?” Niall whined. He had a very annoying sick voice, it was very over the top and made Harry wonder if his friend was even sick at all.

“I bought some yesterday.” 

“I drank it all this morning. Can you just go get it? I want a cuppa.” Niall started tugging at Harry’s jumper sleeve pathetically, so the curly haired boy jumped off the couch with a roll of his eyes. 

He didn’t bother knocking on his neighbours' door, walking straight in and being confronted with wide blue eyes and a toothy grin that weren’t Louis’.

“Hi!” the man said cheerily, and Harry’s eyes narrowed.

“Who are you?”

“Jake. And you are?”

“Harry.” He replied, looking the man up and down. He was too perfect looking, it was creepy. “Where’s Louis?”

“In the kitchen I think.” He said in his too cheery voice. 

Louis was indeed in the kitchen, clinging on to the bench and leaning over the sink, breathing heavily. Harry wrapped his hands around Louis’ hips and the boy spun around and slapped him. Hard.

“Ow, fuck Louis!”

The smaller man waved his hands about in exasperation. “I am so sorry! I thought you were Jake!” 

“Why is he here anyway?” Harry snapped.

“I told you I had to go on a date with him to get the gig tickets for us!” Louis said, leaning up to touch Harry’s red cheek but the taller boy pushed the hand away. “I don’t want him here.” He added with a whisper.

“If you really didn’t want him here, he wouldn’t be here.”

“But I had to! I told him I would and I can’t just go back on my word.”

“Yes, you could have.”

It was Louis’ turn to be angry. “No, I couldn’t. My word means something Harry. If I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it.”

“So you’re all about honesty huh? Then how come you told this Jake guy you were taking your sister, not a date?”

Louis’ face dropped. “Liam told you?”

“Yeah, what, was I not meant to find out? Are you playing us both?” Harry didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. It was like a button inside of him had been pushed and he was just letting out this anger and hurt he’d kept inside of him forever. Harry couldn’t deal with emotions, it was why he tried so hard not to have them.

“I told you that I had to go on a date with Jake.” Louis said, throwing his hands up in the air. He looked about ready to slap Harry in the face again. 

“But you didn’t have to!” Harry shouted, teeth clenched and chest rising and falling and Louis looked scared. “You could have told him to fuck off because you had a boyfriend.” He muttered, looking at his shoes because he couldn’t bring himself to look into those terrified blue eyes again.

“But, I don’t. You said it yourself, we aren’t together.” Louis whispered, and Harry nodded.

He heard footsteps and turned to see the asshole come through the kitchen door. “Is everything okay?”

Harry sniffed and shrugged. “I’m just here to get milk.” 

 

“Niall?” Harry asked, poking his friend awake.

Niall blinked his eyes open and sat up on the couch, letting Harry sit down. Harry immediately nestled his head into Niall’s chest and clung onto his shirt.

“What’s wrong with me Niall?” he whispered. Harry sighed when Niall hesitantly patted his back, and the curly haired boy looked up to meet blue eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you Haz.” Niall said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What happened at Louis’?”

“Did you know Jake was going to be there?” Harry asked instead, and when Niall nodded he didn’t even feel angry. “I just freaked out and yelled at Louis and said things I shouldn’t have and I don’t even know why. I don’t have feelings, Niall. Why have I suddenly got so many?”

“You’ve always had feelings; you just never act on them.”

“The only feelings I have are annoyance and anger, and I’m used to those. But I felt possessive and jealous and guilty just then and I don’t know what to do about it. I have all these feelings for Louis but they aren’t good ones; I don’t want them.”

“But you have good ones too, don’t you?” Niall asked hesitantly, and he looked guilty and frightened and since when was Harry picking up on the feelings of others?

Harry nodded against Niall’s lap. “He makes me feel loved and admired and special. And proud to be the one holding his hand, and something I can’t even name when he talks about his family. He’s really sweet, you know?” 

“Yeah.” Niall said, returning the smile that Harry didn’t even know he was wearing. 

“But I don’t know if feeling that is worth feeling the bad too.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't just leave you with that depressing chapter!!
> 
> Here, have some Ziam fluff ;)

Liam had a favourite starfish. He didn’t think it was weird at all, considering he spent most of his time with the sea creatures. He named it Jolene because it was purple and it suited her. Plus, when it was younger and a male, it was called Joe. Jolene was the obvious option after it changed sexes.

He loved her too much to cut off her arm, even though he knew it would grow back, so she just hung out in her tank and Liam watched her when he ate his lunch. Sometimes he would break bits of his sandwiches off for her. Even though he knew she wouldn’t eat the bread, it felt nice to share lunch with a friend. 

Liam was ecstatic when Zayn visited him in his lab, because finally he could introduce the two most beautiful things he’d ever known. Zayn seemed just as entranced as Liam was, tracing his finger along the tank where she was stuck to the side.

He looked up at Liam and smiled. A beautiful, real, joyous smile so full of wonder Liam’s heart ached a bit. “Can she feel that?” he asked after looking back to the tank. “When I touch the glass, can she feel me saying hello?”

“I think so.” Liam answered when he could breathe properly. “That’s not her usual spot, so I think she’s there to be closer to you.”

Zayn stood up with a grin and pushed Liam playfully. “You’re such a dork.” 

Liam grinned and shrugged and the rubbed at the spot Zayn had knocked him, trying to soak in that bit of Zayn’s heat he left behind. “You want to see the others?” he asked, and Zayn nodded. 

The other star fish weren’t as beautiful as Jolene. Most of them were in the middle of growing back limbs, and they looked ugly to Liam with their funny stumps. Zayn didn’t seem to think so. He’d eyed them all in equal wonder, and radiated excitement when one moved a bit. 

“What are you doing with them exactly?” he asked after going back to Jolene’s tank to watch her some more.

“Just data collection, really. Timing how long they take to grow their limbs, measuring how much each limb grows every couple of days. My thesis is just about what the best environment is for this species’ limbs to grow back.”

Zayn frowned, but it wasn’t as menacing as his usual ones. “I thought you were going to figure out how to make humans grow back their limbs, like that Spiderman movie. He did it with lizards, but starfish is a much safer option. What damage could a mutant starfish-man make to a city?”

“I’m not that smart Zayn.” Liam said with a laugh.

Zayn looked back at him and smiled, a small knowing one that Liam think he liked best. It felt like it was just for him. “I reckon you are.”

Liam blushed and turned back to Jolene. She unstuck one of her arms from the tank, and Liam pressed his finger to the bit of glass where her arm had been. She placed it back and Liam gave her a thumbs up with his other hand. She always gave the best high fives. 

 

Liam gave Zayn a tour of the rest of the research building, letting him examine the reptile tanks and rodent cages for as long as he wanted. He didn’t mention that most of the animals would be dead soon; Zayn was obviously a sensitive soul. 

They ate a packed lunch with Jolene, and went for a walk around the rest of the campus. They snuck into a Veterinary Science lecture, and Zayn soaked it all in. Liam watched Zayn watching the lecturer and grinned at the bewildered expressions Zayn was pulling. Afterwards, Zayn reached out and grabbed Liam’s hand before standing up and trudging out with the rest of the students.

“Thank you, that was amazing.” Zayn said, looking at his shoes like he was talking to them.

“It’s okay, I had fun too.”

“The whole day’s been amazing though. It was all stuff I’ve wanted to see for so long, and to be a part of it just feels incredible. I don’t want to go back to my life now.” He added with a solemn smile. 

“Sorry.” Liam said. He wanted to show Zayn his world, but he didn’t really consider the fact that it was the one Zayn wanted to be in but couldn’t. Liam gave Zayn his dream for a day and snatched it right back.

“Don’t be sorry Liam, it was really sweet.” Zayn looked up at Liam with the same expression he’d been wearing in the lecture, one of wonder and contempt. “You really are a good person. I don’t get why you like me, but I’m glad you do.” He said with a small smile, tickling the inside of Liam’s wrist with his index finger, and Liam realised that maybe his goal should never have been to make Zayn like him, but to make Zayn like himself.


	14. Chapter 14

Harry was back to being cold and distant, and Louis couldn’t come up with a way to make the curly haired boy like him again. It was obvious Niall felt really guilty about it and he was desperate to fix things, but after his last attempt to help Louis was hesitant about asking for advice. 

The only good thing that came from that situation was that Jake freaked out and left. He’d admitted he was only after some fun and there was already too much drama, so he legged it after Harry did. Louis was left sitting alone in his apartment, having gone from two guys after him to none. 

 

“So, Harry liked you then?” Zayn asked when Louis filled him in.

“Yeah, not any more though.” Louis muttered with a sigh.

Zayn rolled his eyes and pushed Louis in the shoulder. “He’s an intense guy. When he feels things, he feels them strongly. If he likes you, that’s not just going to go away. He’s probably just scared.”

Louis just blinked, because he had no idea what to say to Zayn. He hadn’t even considered the fact that Zayn would give Harry a second thought, let alone an analysis. “How do you know?”

“Because he’s a lot like me, except that he’s more self centred and I don’t give a shit about me. That’s what Liam said anyway.” Zayn added with a roll of his eyes and a small smile.

“Liam swore?” Louis joked. He didn’t really know what to do with this Zayn, the one that talked about feelings and smiled.

He was even more startled when Zayn laughed. “He didn’t say it in those words, but he reckons I don’t like myself.”

“When did you talk to him about this?” Louis asked. He liked to think he knew Zayn well, but really he’d just accepted how Zayn was and didn’t look much deeper. It was upsetting to think that maybe his best friend was hurting all this time and he didn’t even know. 

“I’ve hung out with him at Uni a few times, it’s quite nice there.” Zayn admitted, smiling again in a different way to the first. Maybe Louis would have to make a scale for Zayn’s smiles now.

“Good, I’m glad you like him.”

“Yeah.” Zayn grinned, showing perfect rows of teeth that Louis didn’t even know he had. But just as quick as it happened, his face dropped. “It was scary to admit it, you know? It was hard enough to accept that Liam liked me for more then what I look like, but then when I started feeling things for him back it was frightening. I think that’s just what’s wrong with Harry. He likes you and he’s scared about it. It was made worse by the fact that he hurt when he saw Jake with you, so he’s got to be scared of feeling that way again.”

“But he knows I like him. I didn’t hurt him on purpose, and he knew that I was going on a date with Jake and he said he didn’t care.”

“He’s probably more confused then you are about how he reacted. Talk to him.”

“I’ve tried.” Louis sighed. “But I’ll try again.”

 

Louis tried talking to Harry in his room, in the elevator and followed him around the apartment, but Harry would just stick in his earphones and blast music. With Niall’s help, Louis snuck in to one of Harry’s lectures and sat down beside him.

“You know what Freud would have said about you? That you had hysteria.” Louis whispered into his ear, and Harry looked ready to jump out of his skin.

After collecting himself, he snarled “Only women were diagnosed with hysteria, and that was just another way for men to hold power over them. If women got mad or upset about their life, they’d get shipped off to be treated. For something that didn’t even fucking exist.”

Louis’ insides did a little dance. Niall had told him that Harry wouldn’t be able to resist having a go at Freud. “Well, it’s an emotional disorder. If you have hysteria, you fear your emotions and you can’t control them until they burst. That sounds like you.”

“Hysteria doesn’t exist, you idiot. It’s been discounted.” Harry growled, and glared behind him when someone shushed them. “We’re taking this outside.” He muttered.

“Alright.” Louis grinned and trailed behind a fuming Harry.

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about. I bet you just googled it.” Harry continued muttering to himself. 

“So why do you think you can’t control your feelings?”

Harry stopped then and he frowned. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t mean I should be diagnosed with something.”

“You want to know what I think?” Louis asked, and Harry scowled and looked away. “I think you do control your feelings, but you control them with fear. You suppress the ones you’re scared of and you let out the ones you find easiest. You push people away because you can't control how other’s make you feel. You like Niall because he doesn’t push, and you like Liam because he doesn’t notice. You’re scared of me because I care and I notice and I push until I’m in your head and maybe even in your heart.” At some point Harry’s eyes fixed on Louis’ blue ones, stare unwavering until Louis finished his little speech and Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

“I think what scares me the most is how well you know me.” Harry muttered when he finally opened them again. “I know I like you Louis, I just don't know what to do about it."

"Just try." Louis begged. "Let's try to be something, and worry about the other stuff later."

"Alright. We can try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo manyyyy feeeeeeelings!!
> 
> Ps guys the end is nigh, I'm planning on another two or three more chapters :)


	15. Chapter 15

Zayn spent whatever free time he had in Liam’s lab. When he wasn’t in photo shoots, he was watching Liam take notes and mutter to himself. Occasionally he would look up from his laptop and blink up at Zayn with a grin, like he forgot that Zayn was there and felt pleased to see him all over again. It still amazed Zayn that Liam could like him so much, even though he knew almost everything. 

Bit by bit, Zayn had revealed information about himself; from his favourite colour to how many people he dealt to. Liam never shied away from the bad stuff Zayn had done. Instead, he’d always smile reassuringly and tell Zayn about what he was now, and how far he’d come. Like the lives Zayn had fucked up were just one small stepping stone in the river that was his life. That’s what Liam said anyway. He said all kinds of lame shit like that, but he was so sincere and unashamed about it that Zayn couldn’t really doubt him. Liam was obsessed with the river metaphor. He’d say stuff like “Well that’s just a fallen log in your path, but it will float away downstream soon” which made some kind of sense, but then he’d add “Just think of the beavers that will make a home with that bit of wood” and Zayn had to laugh.

Liam was incredibly sweet, but what Zayn liked best was his honesty. Zayn wasn’t a trustworthy guy; having supposed friends that ratted you out to the cops kind of destroyed any hope you had in people. It wasn’t until he met Louis that things felt alright, but even Louis didn’t know the real him. 

Liam just knew, like how he knows everything. 

 

Zayn hadn’t seen Liam all day, and he was surprised at just how much he missed him. He and Louis had a few big photo shoots, and were exhausted by the time they finally got home. It didn’t stop Zayn from immediately perking up when Liam bounded into the hallway as soon as Zayn got out of the elevator.

“I have something for you. Well, somethings.” Liam announced, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Let’s see them then.” Zayn said with a grin, following Liam into his flat. 

“Here’s the first. I put a lot of thought into it, just so you know.” Liam shoved a piece of paper when his handwriting on it, and Zayn smiled when he saw it was a poem. Even better, it was acrostic. It made Zayn think that maybe Liam wasn’t good at everything. It read:

Z – Zoological

A – Acrimonious

Y – Yummy

N – Nautical

 

M – Magnetic

A – Adonic

L – Liam’s

I – Intense

K - Kissable

Zayn had to laugh; he couldn’t help it. A preschooler probably could do better, and he loved it for that very reason. 

“I have a few questions.” Zayn said, sobering up and eyeing Liam seriously.

“Of course, go ahead.”

“How am I nautical?”

Liam rolled his eyes like the answer was obvious. “Well, I reckon you would be really good at driving a boat. Plus, you would look perfect in a sailor hat.”

“Oh, of course. Secondly, what does the second one mean?”

“Acrimonious. It means bitter.” It was a perfect show of Liam’s personality, so it was Zayn’s new favourite word.

“And thirdly, how do you know I’m kissable when we haven’t kissed?” Zayn asked, and Liam turned a bright shade of pink. 

“I just know.” Liam muttered, and Zayn stepped closer. 

“I think we should kiss, so that you can be one hundred percent certain.”

“Yeah?” Liam asked, wide eyed and biting on his lower lip. “You sure? We don’t have to.”

Zayn smiled. He was beginning to become accustomed to the feeling, maybe even like it when his lips tugged up at the sides and his cheek muscles ached a little from disuse. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now, but seeing as we only spend time together in your lab I thought Jolene wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Oh no, she wouldn’t have minded. I think she would even be a little happy about it, something new – “

“Liam.” Zayn interrupted. “Can we kiss now?”

“Oh, yes.” 

Liam wasn’t making any kind of move though, so Zayn slowly approached him and rested his hands on Liam’s hips. Then something occurred to him. “You’ve kissed someone before, right?”

Liam laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I have. I’m not a complete cliché.” 

“I think I’m a little sad about that.” Zayn pouted and Liam placed his hands on either side of Zayn’s face. “I’d always thought that if I was going to fall for a nerd, I’d get the whole nerd package. Virginal, obsessed with Sci Fi, comic book collector.” He joked.

“I like to think of myself as a genius, not a nerd.”

“Liam, you are definitely a nerd.” Zayn said with a laugh, and when Liam’s face pinched up a bit Zayn smiled warmly and added “But you’re my nerd.”

It was Liam’s turn to grin, and he did it seconds before leaning into Zayn, pressing their lips together. Zayn’s hands immediately raced up Liam’s back, one lightly rubbing Liam’s shoulder blades and the other attaching itself to the back of Liam’s neck. Liam tilted his head and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth up slightly so he could breathe in more of Zayn. Zayn didn’t think he’d ever tasted anything sweeter. 

He pulled away and smiled. “I think that might be a better gift then the first; which is saying something, because I really love that poem.”

“Oh, that’s not the second thing.” Liam said in a voice with a little rasp to it. Zayn quite liked that rasp. He let out a little noise of disapproval when Liam let go of him, rushing over to his table and searching through a black satchel. He pulled out a folder and handed it to Zayn. “I’ve looked into scholarships for you, and I was thinking we could go through them together? I can help you write letters and stuff if you like?” he worried his bottom lip as he asked, and Zayn settled it with a light kiss. 

“You really are amazing Liam. Whatever I did to deserve you, I’m sure glad I did it.”Zayn muttered against his lips, and grinned with Liam when he felt a smile light up his boyfriend’s face.


	16. Chapter 16

“So, you think I should draw caricatures for a living?” Niall asked as he plonked down on to the couch beside Liam, who snuggled into Zayn’s side. 

“You can’t do that for a living.” Zayn grumbled with a small frown. It was more of a thoughtful one, rather than the furious ones he used to give out.

Niall huffed. “Well, what else can I do when my only skills are people watching and meddling in their lives?”

“I’d call that observational. I reckon you could be a spy.” Liam said with a grin that Niall couldn’t help but return.

“That would just put my two years of Uni to waste.”

There was a loud thump on the front door that made the three boys turn to watch it, which meant they saw everything the two bodies that tumbled into the room were doing. Every grope and kiss and whimper, the three boys on the couch caught.

“Guys, we’re home!” Niall shouted, and Louis pulled away from Harry immediately. As nice as it was that the two of them were together now, their PDA was getting a bit sickening.

“Oh, hello.” Louis rasped, and Harry just grinned at them. 

“Come on.” Harry said as he grabbed Louis’ hand and began pulling him into his room. 

“Wait! We’re trying to figure out what Niall should do for a living.” Liam said, and both boys stopped short.

“Why don’t you just go out and live first, then decide. Go visit your family in Australia, or see more of Europe, or try studying in America. Why are you in such a rush?” Harry asked with exasperation, and it might just have been the best advice Harry had ever given anyone.

 

“So, you are definitely one hundred percent sure you have everything?” Liam asked, clinging on to Niall’s arm for dear life.

“For the millionth time, yes. Do you want to check for my passport again?” Niall laughed as Liam nodded, going through the carry on bag that he had packed that morning. 

It had been pretty hectic. Once Louis and Zayn moved in to their apartment, the space just felt that much smaller. All five of them were always together in either flat, so it made the most sense to move into one. It would make it that much cheaper for all of them, especially since Niall was moving away. Since he’d announced that he was going to volunteer in an African orphanage, the boys all tried hard to include Niall in everything. It had been hard at first to be the only one not in a relationship, having to watch the two couples grow deeper and deeper in love as he started to feel more and more useless. They didn’t need him anymore, so it felt like the right time to do some self discovery. 

Niall just watched as all four boys were rushing around the morning of his flight, shoving things into his hands to pack in his backpack. Harry gave Niall his favourite beanie and Louis gave him a scarf to match, and Niall didn’t have the heart to remind them about how hot it was there. Liam and Zayn gave him a wrapped gift and told him to open it on the plane. They then continued stuffing things in his carryon bag, like snacks for the airport that Niall just knew would be confiscated, and a charged IPod and some books. Niall didn’t really have anything to do himself, and it was a nice feeling to be looked after. He noticed every small smile Harry sent Louis, and every squeeze Zayn gave Liam’s shoulder, and it all felt so right. His friends had all found their happiness; it was his turn now. 

 

Niall didn’t wait until he was on the plane to open the present from Liam and Zayn. He was feeling a bit tearful after leaving his friends. Harry actually cried, which didn’t help Niall any. They’d each hugged him for way too long, Liam giving him another in between his friends’. When they were no longer in his sight, he already missed them.

After getting through customs and trying to kill time with coffee and cafe sandwiches, he figured that he may as well dig further into the wound and see what Liam had given him. It would be another painful reminder that he wouldn’t see his friends for a long time, but it would also be a little bit of Liam that Niall could see now that he was already missing him so much. 

He unwrapped the paper, careful not to rip any, and pulled out three small books. They were each numbered, and Niall opened the one that said _#1_ first. It was filled with photos of Liam, Harry and he together, ones he didn’t know existed. There were some from when they first moved in, and Niall remembered that Liam took them to send his parents. In one, Niall was holding Harry’s head to his chest as the curly haired boy scowled. Another had the three boys in it, and Niall laughed out loud as he remembered the time Liam had tried to pose them like they were in a cheesy family photo.

He was already tearful before he opened the one labelled _#2_. 

This one was filled with pictures of Louis and Harry, including ones that he was sure the two boys didn’t even know about. Some were of them sleeping, hugging each other tight or holding hands, legs entwined. There was a photo of the two of them together at the Barrow, and more of them grinning at each other at home, like they didn’t know anyone was watching. They probably didn’t; Liam could be very sneaky. 

The third album was all Liam and Zayn. There were quite a lot of Liam’s starfish too, which made the blonde laugh. It was nice seeing the grin on Zayn’s face, and Liam’s answering smile was beautiful. At the end was a photo of all five of them, one that had been taken by the barkeeper the week before. Alongside it was a letter in Liam’s messy handwriting.

_I just wanted to give you a reminder of what you’ve done for all of us. You deserve to find your own happiness, and we hope you do._

As he looked through the albums, he couldn’t wipe the grin from his face. In front of his eyes was exactly what he had helped create, and it was pure beauty. If this wasn’t true happiness, the feeling he had now looking at the picture of him and his four best friends, then he couldn’t wait to feel the real deal for himself. He did deserve it, and whether he found it with another person or by what he did with his life, it would be because of the four people that mattered most to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKYOU FOR READING AND THANKYOU EVEN MORE TO THOSE THAT HAVE COMMENTED!!!
> 
> Let me know what you think of the ending and such pleeeease. 
> 
> Also I've had a request for another George Shelley/ Harry fic so those of you who don't like that will get a bit of a break from me :) then i'm going to write a Marry Poppins inspired Larry fic (Harry is the nanny and Louis will have a go at being the snarky bitch in my fic for once). Stay tuuuuned. Or not. Whatever. :D


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